


sun drenched world.

by redhoods



Category: Generation Kill
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-04
Updated: 2012-02-04
Packaged: 2017-10-30 13:55:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/332467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redhoods/pseuds/redhoods
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The other boy grins at him, toothy and wide and steps forward from his mother's grip. "I'm Ray and I just turned seven," he replies and then he's bypassing Walt's hand to smack a slobbery kiss to Walt's cheek.</p>
            </blockquote>





	sun drenched world.

_ages five and seven._

Walt's sitting on the front steps, messing with the fray from one of the several holes in his jeans when he notices a truck he's never seen before coming down the long drive towards the house, kicking up dirt, dust, and pebbles. He's up and tearing through the house in record timing, "MOMMA! MOMMA! MOMMA! SOMEONE'S HERE!"

He nearly gets whacked with her wooden spoon when he skids to a stop in the kitchen behind her. He bites his lip and ducks his head. "Sorry, Momma, but someone's here," he states, shifting on his feet, letting himself be propelled back out the door by her hand between his shoulder blades.

By the time they make it outside, there's a woman standing at the front end of the truck, her hand on the shoulder of the boy standing next to her. Walt's nose screws up as he takes the other boy in. He looks older than Walt, but not by much, he's also thinner by a margin, and there's dirt smudged across his cheek and something bright red spilled on his shirt.

"Walt, say hi."

Walt tilts his head back to look at his momma, tilting it back more so than usual to account for the cowboy hat perched on his head before he nods and lets her push him forwards. He straightens his back, standing tall and extends his arm to the other boy to shake like he's seen his dad and brothers do at church while the old ladies are busy pinching his cheeks red. "I'm Walt, I'm five."

The other boy grins at him, toothy and wide and steps forward from his mother's grip. "I'm Ray and I just turned seven," he replies and then he's bypassing Walt's hand to smack a slobbery kiss to Walt's cheek.

Walt kicks him in the shin with the toe of his hand me down cowboy boots that he can't remember if he got them from Charlie or Matt, then takes off, listening to his momma yell and the other boy shout.

His momma sends Matt around lunch time up to the tree house to bribe Walt with the possibility of honey and banana sandwiches if he comes inside and apologizes for his behavior. Walt can't say no to honey and banana sandwiches.

\--

_ages eight and ten._

Walt and Ray are sitting on the swing set in Molly Ann Parker's backyard, watching her birthday party unfold. Walt's got his swing twisted so he can face Ray, listening to the older boy make up the conversation that the girls are having while all the other boys are playing football without them. Ray's got rainbow frosting smeared across his cheek and chin but doesn't seem to mind or notice, like the bright red kool aid mustache he has going.

"Incoming, Hasser," Ray stops mid-sentence to state and Walt twists his swing back right, watching Molly Ann Parker come their way, confused as he looks to where the other girls are to notice their all watching him. His face takes on a few shades of red.

Molly Ann stops a few feet in front of them, sending a weird look to Ray then she's looking at Walt and smiles prettily, stepping up towards his swing, opposite the side that Ray's on.

Ray watches in fascination as she whispers something to the blonde boy and his face takes on color, turning redder by the second, even after Molly Ann walks away with her head high. "Walt, Walt, you're redder than that time we fell asleep in the field and you got burnt to a crisp!"

And Walt doesn't respond, just looks even more confused as time passes and Ray reaches out and pushes a hand through Walt's sun bleached hair. "Earth to Walter."

"I don't like girls," is all he says and Ray blinks a few times.

"What?"

Walt shakes his head and suddenly looks distressed, eyes wide and lower lip quivering. "Ray, what do I do? Molly Ann said she likes me and I don't like girls but she's pretty but she's a girl and -"

Ray clasps a hand over the other boys mouth. "Shush, Walt, if you don't like her just tell her."

When Ray's momma picks them up, Walt's covered in red kool-aid and refuses to let go of Ray's hand.

\--

_ages eleven and thirteen._

Ray and Walt are heading back towards the barn to brush down the horses, when something spooks Walt's mare and causes her to buck him off. Ray lets out a loud shout, trying to get anyone's attention as he slides off the horse he had been riding and rushes over to where Walt is. "Walt! Walt! You better be okay!"

A flurry of activity happens quickly there after and Walt refuses to let go of the grip he has on the back of Ray's shirt, so Ray awkwardly helps Walt's brother get him into one of the trucks before he climbs in as well. "Walt?"

Walt looks at him, blue eyes red and wide, lower lip caught between his teeth. Ray can tell he's trying to fight tears, but the well up regardless and a few fat drops roll down Walt's cheeks. "You're gonna be okay, dude, you're gonna get a cast and it's gonna be awesome," he tries and squeezes an arm around Walt, careful not to jostle him. Walt nods and hiccups once, leaning into Ray's grasp as he cradles his arm to his chest.

The doctor decides to humor Walt and lets Ray stay in the room while they plaster Walt's arm, even though Ray spends most of the time making Walt laugh and squirm around on the bed. Once the doctor gives the okay, Ray's the first to sign Walt's cast, writing 'Ray was here' in large barely legible letters, taking up most of one side of the cast.

Walt's momma takes them for ice cream after and the two ride in the bed of the truck, trying to eat their ice cream.

"You know, girls are gonna love that," Ray says, strawberry ice cream dribbling down his chin, as he indicates Walt's cast.

Walt's nose screws up, "You're a mess," he states before he looks down to his ice cream and shrugs. "Plus, I don't like girls."

Ray shrugs his shoulders and spends the rest of the ride shouting the lyrics to 'Chicks Dig It'.

\--

_ages thirteen and fifteen._

Maggie Hasser is in the kitchen when Ray Person comes bursting through her backdoor, face red and breathing heavily. "Ray, what are you doing here? Did something happen?"

Ray is still swallowing lungfuls of air so she pours him a glass of water and hands it over. "Ray, what's going on?"

After downing the water, Ray sets the empty glass in the sink and pushes a hand through his hair. "Is Walt home yet?" He asks, eyes darting around like he's looking for something.

"He walked by the house and headed out back, didn't even come in to say hi. He must be in the tree house," she hasn't even finished her statement before the screen door is banging closed behind Ray. Shaking her head, she returns to her previous task.

It takes Ray five minutes to get to the tree house and climbing up the ladder to where he can see the edge of Walt's shirt through the square hole in the bottom. "Walt!" Still climbing up steadily, Ray watches the piece of fabric disappear, replaced by Walt's face and he swallows heavily. "Hey," he states softly, pulling himself up through and into the tree house itself.

Walt's right eye is nearly swelled shut, purple in color from bruising, and his lower lip is split and swollen. "Hey," he mumbles softly, pushing back from the hole to lean back against one of the walls of the tree house, legs spread out in front of him.

Ray climbs across the floor of the small structure and slumps back against the wall next to Walt, sliding an arm around the younger male's shoulders. "What happened?" 

Fidgeting with his hands in his lap, Walt leans into Ray's side immediately and shakes his head a little, starting to worry his lower lip with his teeth before releasing it with a soft hiss of pain.

Moving his hand from Walt's shoulder, Ray runs it through Walt's hair slowly, feeling the other teen relaxing slowly against him. "Tell me."

"Craig called me a fag, told me fags couldn't play football, and then said he was gonna mess up my pretty face," Walt's voice is muffled, his face pressed into Ray's side and Ray sees red. He really wants to beat the ever loving shit out of the quarterback of their school's football team right now for even thinking of calling Walt names, much less laying a hand on Walt.

Walt is peering at him, "He's not worth it, Ray," and Walt's hands are pressed to either side of his face. "Promise you won't?"

Ray sighs softly and wraps his arms around the younger boy, "I'm promise," he mumbles softly.

The next day, Brad Colbert gets detention for knocking out Craig. Ray never promised he wouldn't ask someone else to hurt the jerk. If Walt doesn't talk to him for a few days and he owes Brad a constant supply of energy drinks, Ray thinks it's worth it.

\--

_ages sixteen and eighteen._

Ray is sprawled out on his bed in his boxers, window open and fan blowing, trying to beat the oppressive summer heat without air conditioner. A sudden thump outside his window has him scrambling for the baseball bat under his bed.

"Ray, help would be nice," Walt's voice carries in from the darkness outside and Ray changes direction to the window, reaching out and gripping one of the other boy's biceps to haul him through the window. They land on the floor in a tangle of limbs.

Once they manage to get untangled and are both sure Ray's momma isn't going to come swooping in, they sit across from each other on Ray's bed and that's when Ray notices things. "Walt, what happened?" He asks, reaching out to touch where Walt's jaw is swollen but drops his hand when the other male flinches.

Swallowing, Walt reaches out and takes Ray's hand, locking their fingers together. "Sorry, just, it hurts and I'm sorry for showing up and not calling and everything is just so messed up," Ray lets him ramble, reaching out to pull Walt to him.

Walt goes with Ray's tugs, shifting around until their both laying back on Ray's bed, Walt's head pillowed on the other male's chest. "My dad found out," he states softly and Ray strains to hear him.

"Did he hit you?" Ray asks softly, carding his fingers through Walt's hair slowly and sucks in a breath when the younger teens nod. "Do you want to stay here tonight?" Ray stares down at the top of Walt's head.

"Can I?" Walt shifts up some so he can peer down at Ray through the darkness, glad for the moon spilling some light into the room.

Ray offers a little smile, "'course you can," he answers, letting out a soft hum of surprise when his lips are covered by Walt's. It's not a great kiss, both of their lips are chapped and the angle is sort of awkward but it happens.

"Sorry, sorry, I shouldn't have done that," and Walt is sitting up, burying his face in his hands.

Bringing a hand up, Ray rubs it over Walt's back. "Walt, Walt," he tries softly before sitting up and draping himself over the younger teens back. "Don't be sorry, please, don't be sorry, because if you're sorry, you're saying that was wrong and it wasn't wrong and you know it wasn't."

Walt turns his head in Ray's direction, eyes bright with emotion. "Yeah?" Ray answers by pressing his lips to Walt's.

\--

_ages eighteen and twenty._

"So how's it feel to graduate and be legal all in one day?" Ray is sprawled out on Walt's bed, watching the other male shove things from the closet and shelves into boxes and let's out a small 'oomph' when something is dropped on his chest.

"It'd feel better if you would help me pack before my dad gets home," Walt murmurs, pausing briefly to ghost his lips over Ray's before he's back to packing everything into boxes and occasionally glancing out his window and down the drive as if expecting his dad to show up at any given moment.

Ray sighs softly and gets up, starting to help add stuff into the various boxes. "Your mom said she'd hold him off for us," he states softly, catching Walt by the shoulders to stop him, kissing him soft and slow, feeling the tension drain out of the other male. "Relax, Walt, we've got time."

Walt nods slowly, less on edge as he continues to pack everything and then it's a matter of getting it all down the stairs and out into the bed of Ray's truck so they can get the hell out of there.

Ray drives with one hand, the other draped across the back of the seat, letting his fingers run along the side of Walt's neck. "Where should we head?"

A shrug is all he gets for an answer as Walt shifts in his seat, turning so his back is against Ray's side, Ray's hand and his locked over Walt's chest. Ray presses his lips to the top of Walt's head. "Good answer."


End file.
